I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the prevention of back injury and, more particularly, to a system and related methods for preventing back injury associated with backpack use.
II. Discussion of the Prior Art
While most episodes of back pain are self-limited, 5% to 10% of cases will become chronic. These chronic conditions account for 90% of the healthcare expenditures for back pain and amount to $50 to $80 billion dollars annually. Among those subject to this problem are the over 40 million children (in the US alone) who use backpacks to transport belongings to, from and within school. Although it is recommended that a loaded backpack weigh no more than 10% to 15% of a student's body weight, the average student carries a backpack weighing almost one forth of his or her body weight and almost thirty percent of all students typically carry backpacks weighing up to one third of their body weight at least once a week. As a result, emergency room visits by children for back pain due to backpacks have increased over time, with approximately half of all injuries occurring to children ranging from 5-14 years old. In addition to back pain caused by overloaded backpacks, studies suggest a correlation between spinal deformity (e.g. scoliosis) due to excessive weight in backpacks. Moreover, adolescents who have experienced back pain are at an increased risk for experiencing back pain as adults, which will only add to the already large burden on healthcare systems worldwide.
Efforts to avoid or minimize back injuries due to overloaded backpacks have largely revolved around eliminating the need to carry the backpack, such as by adding wheels to pull rather than carry the backpack. While an admirable attempt (and to a degree helpful), in practice this effort has been less than successful, with many children reluctant to use the wheeled feature to pull the backpack. A further disadvantage of the wheeled backpack approach is that the student usually has to lift the backpack at some point, whether to place the backpack in a locker or into a transportation vehicle such as a school bus, which subjects their back to a potentially injurious overload condition.
The present invention is directed at overcoming, or at least improving upon, the disadvantages of the prior art.